In larger cities, parking spaces are a premium, and often private parking spaces adjacent commercial buildings are expensive. Additionally, once a vehicle is parked in the space, it is desirable to ensure that thieves cannot remove the vehicle from the parking space. Various parking barriers and obstruction posts have been proposed for restricting ingress into and egress from a parking space to ensure that one who has paid for a private parking space, will have access to that space.
Many of the proposals are large, complex apparatus, expensive to manufacture, and not designed for easy access into the parking space even when the barrier is in a lowered position. Thus, cars that have a frame low to the ground cannot readily pass over the barrier. Additionally, some of the barriers are secured onto the ground by lag bolts or other means that are not enclosed by the barrier. Because the lag bolts or other securing means is not protected, the bolts and barrier can be readily removed.
Other barriers have large, upstanding posts or other means that pivot downward to allow ingress into a parking space. A long rod extends through the post or other means to engage a lower member for locking the post in an upright position. These also are usually complex and thieves may more easily tamper with the long locking mechanism.
One barrier proposal, U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,190 to Mazzone, does not incorporate a long rod but discloses a pivotable barrier frame, which is journaled through a base. The frame carries a bolt that may be lowered into the base. Although this barrier design is simple and lies prone on the ground when lowered to facilitate vehicle ingress into and egress from the parking space, the locking mechanism is not protected by the base or barrier frame and thieves easily can cut the exposed center bolt.